It may seem obvious why some people would choose to become a life coach – they get to help people get the results they want (generally speaking). But will a career as a life coach be fulfilling for everyone?
Why Become a Life Coach?
Before we get into why some people become a life coach, let’s first define what coaching is.
The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as:
“Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking
and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and
professional potential.”
In other words, a coach supports each client to achieve their goals.
Let’s Ask Some Coaches
I interviewed fifteen life coaches and asked each of them why they became a coach and what they love about being a coach now that they are a coach.
Their answers to the first question, why they became a coach, can be summarized into four reasons:
- They wanted to help people.
- They wanted to make a difference in the world.
- Coaching was a calling.
- Their skills and values were a match for this profession.
Once they became coaches, most shared that they genuinely enjoy seeing their clients succeed and even get an emotional high from helping others reach their goals.
In addition, they love the freedom, flexibility and independence that self-employment (when done right) allows. They’ve been able to create a lifestyle that works for them.
Is Becoming a Life Coach The Only Answer?
The question is, do you need to become a life coach to help people, make a difference in the world, and create the perfect lifestyle for you?
Just think about that for a moment…
Frankly, the answer is no. If you were to ask people in other helping professions – such as personal trainers, personal shoppers, virtual assistants, doctors, or web designers etc. – you would likely hear the same answers.
What Is The Solution?
It comes down to whether your values, skills, core genius, and passions match those necessary to become a great coach.
If they do, it’s a career that you will likely find fulfilling. If not, you may find yourself hopping from career to career until you find a match.
You need to take the time to ‘go within’ and find what career coach Barb Richards, of VisionWorkCoaching.com, calls your ‘true north.’ Discover your values, skills, core genius and passions. Then see if they are a match for the profession of coaching.
You can search haphazardly for the right profession or you can save time, money and frustration and do the inner work first.
Want to learn more about the profession of coaching? Get Chapter 1 from Sue Bond’s “How to Become a Coach” ebook and the transcript from an interview with Barb Richards on career transition. Type you name and email in the box at the top of the left column.
Copyright 2008 * Sue Bond